


High Fructose Corn Syrup

by afractionof



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Rare Pair, Roxy Lalonde - Freeform, jake english - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-28
Updated: 2013-06-28
Packaged: 2017-12-16 10:57:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/861305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afractionof/pseuds/afractionof
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Between Ro-Lal and her teasing and Di-Stri being his usual self, you’re not really sure what’s going on. But, you do know one thing. Your first kiss has been quite the success and you’re certain your second will be even better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	High Fructose Corn Syrup

**Author's Note:**

> Finally got my own Ao3 Account. Don't approve of the lack of DirkJane, love this pair. Can also be found under the same name on tumblr.

Your name is Jane Crocker and you've had just about enough of one Miss Roxy Lalonde and her questionable teasing.

Of course, you know it's not going to stop any time soon and, to be fair, it's rather gentle, friendly teasing but still. You know for a fact she's full of hot air and one of these days her talking is going to get her in trouble.

It's also driving you a bit mad.

You're not sure if she's pointing you towards something or just being her usual silly self and it's got you up to your neck in confusion. It certainly doesn't have anything to do with a mild, childish desire to get one up on her or test out a new gambit, nor does it have anything to do with the way her lips purse when she tries to sound out 'seduction' two bottles in on a Saturday night and she's trying to convince you she would, without a doubt, lay a big 'smoich' on you.

You're not at all convinced by either of those things, but you're of the opinion that it wouldn't hurt and, well, she's very pretty and—

"Jane."

Not that it matters, currently. Your planning, or lack thereof, has been interrupted and you turn, giving Mr. Di-Stri a small smile.

"Dirk."

When he flops down next to you, you swat playfully at his hand before his arm snakes around your shoulders and he drags you up against his side. It's a routine the two of you have fallen into and you have to admit, you're rather fond of it. Strider is warm and comfortable and he always smells fantastic.

What's there to really complain about?

"How's my best girl doing?"

"Don't let Roxy hear you say that," you chastise.

"She's my best girl too," he assures you and you shift back against the cushions when his arm moves and he settles down into his usual position, head resting in your lap, legs hanging over the end of the couch. Your hand finds its way to his hair, petting it back and you know his eyes are closed from the way he sighs.

It appears to be one of those days.

"Did something happen?"

There's no sense in beating around the bush and he knows that, appreciates it even, if the way his lips twitch is anything to go by.

"Jake," he says simply and you nod.

"Ah, I see."

"Yeah..."

You know that sigh very well.

For a good while, you'd felt that your relationship with Dirk had become more than a little strained. The two of you had, and still retained, feelings for the same oblivious moron and it'd taken its toll at one point, likely egged on by a rise in hormone function and general stupidity associated with romantic feelings at fourteen.

At seventeen, however, the two of you are past that—thank God—and spend most of your free time working on homework the other two are too distracted to get done or otherwise entertaining yourselves in the same general area.

You spend a lot of time in the kitchen, windows open, while he clutters your table with neatly piled and sorted wires, tools he uses to build different things and sketched-out blueprints as you bake. You chatter while he hums and nods in agreement or, on occasion, he’ll pause to engage you in a rather lively debate and it's gotten to be rather comfortable.

You enjoy his company and he enjoys yours. He's neat, has good manners, and somehow manages to charm your dad into letting him into your house repeatedly.

And that's one of the things you really appreciate about Dirk. He doesn't let anyone walk all over him, even your father, and stays true to himself. Which, you're sure is the only reason he's still allowed to be here. He's lacking a good bit of social tact or, to put it more accurately, any tact at all but, in an odd way, you're a little hopeful that some of that has rubbed off on you.

You're certainly a bit more... emphatic than you used to be when you're opposed to something. And at the very least you've managed to confess your feelings for a certain loveable idiot a grand total of two times without shoving him in a different direction.

...Not that it really helped. He didn't seem to understand any better than the first time, to be honest, but you're pretty sure nothing short of screaming it in his face is going to get the point across and you're not exactly up for that.

Jake's a good friend and you'd never yell at him unless circumstances were dire. A crush is neither dire nor cause for screaming and you're happy with what you have. Dirk's made it a bit easier, agreeing that Jake is likely going to continue to do his own, oblivious thing until the world ends or he dies, whichever comes first, and there's no use in being a pushy idiot about it anymore.

His stint of 'going out' with Jake had gone over like an extremely awkward train wreck and, as different as the two of you are, you're not exactly jumping in your seat to have Jake talk non-stop about Dirk when you're something a little more than friends. You’re not stupid, you know have a pretty good guess at how that would feel and you’re not going to actively put yourself through it for the sake of some possibly silly feelings.

A finger pokes your lips and you glance down. "Yes?"

"Jane, I've been asking you repeatedly how your day was and I'm starting to feel less and less special every time you ignore me."

You roll your eyes, pushing his hand away from his face. "I was lost in thought. You should be able to appreciate that, I think, Strider."

"Oh, you were? How unbelievably shocking, Miss Crocker. I had no idea you were thinking things whilst completely zoned out up there. My, my, will the revelations never end."

"Your sarcasm is noted and only partially approved of."

His grin widens and you feel your own lips twitch before giving way to a small smile of your own. He's utterly ridiculous and very aware of it.

"Don't lie, Janey, you know I have your whole-hearted approval."

"Perhaps," you sniff, rubbing your fingers over his scalp.

His expression softens immediately and your smile turns smug. If there's an off switch, this is definitely it and, low blow or not, you don't see any harm in using it to win a frivolous argument.

"That's cheating, Miss Crocker," he mumbles but you know you won't hear any complaints. "You still need to answer my question though."

Ah, yes, of course. "My day was fine. It was a day, a usual day, and I did a number of daily things up to and including converse with Ro-Lal."

"Did she have something to do with your scheming when I walked in?"

"I do not 'scheme', Mr. Strider."

"Right, forgive me, Princess. I forgot you prefer the term 'planning'."

"Thank you." You don't 'scheme'. 'Scheme' is such an underhanded word and he's right, you do prefer the term planning. Good detectives have a plan, not a scheme, and you're nothing if not a good detective. "But, to answer your question, yes, she did."

"You going to clue me in?"

"...I suppose." You sigh, reaching up to adjust your glasses and try to ignore the way your cheeks burn just a bit. "Roxy has been being rather insistent that she would be willing to kiss me... However, I know she's all talk and I've been considering teaching her a lesson about what happens to people who are full of hot air."

His eyes open and you watch him blink behind his shades. "Teach her a lesson...?"

"Nothing terrible, just... she's very insistent, Strider. I can't count the number of times I've been in conversation about 'lesbo-smoiches' and I'm at my wit's end. She's ridiculous."

"She's definitely that," he mutters, lips tilting in a fond smile. "But she's also smart."

"I'm aware... and that is the problem. I'm not sure if she's being purposefully obtuse, letting her drink speak for her, or hinting repeatedly so that I'll take said hint and do something about it first."

"I'd bet on the latter."

You chew your lip, sighing quietly because you know he's probably right. As much as she teases and typos, you know only half of it is unintentional.

All of your friends are brilliant. Yes, you call Jake a moron but only in the feelings department. He knows things about history and ruins and nature that you likely never would have considered even considering. Roxy might as well be a professional with how well she knows computers and programing, and Strider is simply good at just about anything he takes an interest in.

You feel very plain next to all of them... especially when you can't figure out what one of them wants—in this case, whether smooching your best friend is a good idea or just another layer of her friendly teasing.

"Hey."

Dirk's hand cups your cheek and you blink, giving him an apologetic smile. "Yes? Sorry."

"Do you like her?"

"Well, of course I like her... but, in that way? I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if she likes me or is just being her usual self..."

The both of you understand just how flirty she can be and you love it, really, you do... you're just a little confused by how blatant she's been lately, and not talking about it, as you would usually bring those things up with her before Dirk, has left you feeling a little frayed at the ends.

You love Roxy. There is no better gal-pal out there, even if she did give your computer a virus last year. Accidents happen and it wasn't meant for you and is completely beside the point at this moment.

The point is that you're not sure what your best course of action is.

You've never exactly harbored feelings for another girl but at the same time you've never seen a point in trying to define something between genders. You've also never really defined where you lie on the many different lines of sexuality. No one's ever asked, either, which is probably a good thing. You wouldn't have known what to say and probably ended up sounding rather rude in an attempt to give a satisfactory answer.

In that regard, you've always been jealous of Dirk. He's known exactly who and what he wanted from day one and that sort of certainty is something you're sadly lacking in. Perhaps a bit of confidence as well, but you're working on that.

"Jane, you're doing it again."

"Sorry."

In your lap, he shrugs. His shoulders slide against your legs, wrinkling your skirt, but you can't really find much of a reason to care. He's really rather attractive, even when he's frowning at you with concern and how in the world does anyone pull that off?

"How do you do it," you ask, mussing his hair before smoothing it out with the flat of your hand.

"Do what?"

"Be attractive."

Your cheeks color the second the words leave your mouth and you silently berate yourself because you hadn't meant to say it so simply. There'd been a more specific question in mind about how he manages to look so relaxed—cool, even—no matter the situation, but it's too late for that unless you want to look like a stuttering mess and you don't.

You really don't.

So you let him give you a look over the edges of his shades, one finger still hooked around the point he pulled them down with. His brow furrows, lips thinning, and you're not exactly sure why he's frowning at you but you keep your mouth shut.

"Jane, you're very attractive."

That... in all honesty, was not even close to what you thought he was going to say.

"What?" You blink, eyes widening a little in confusion when he sits up and turns to face you fully. "I just meant that—"

"No, listen." His hand cups your cheek and you freeze because Dirk doesn't tend to get too personal unless you're really in need of a shoulder to cry on and you certainly don't feel like crying right now. But, when he continues, your jaw drops just a little and you're not sure what to say. "You're gorgeous, Jane. I probably should have said it ages ago but you really are beautiful."

"Dirk."

He just shakes his head and you watch him pause, looking down at his lap for a minute before he laughs. You don't really know what's going on and your face is hot and you're really kind of flattered he thinks so but it's still almost awkward to hear, especially when he’s so close.

"I– hm."

What?

The hand on your cheek slides down, cupping the back of your neck and before you can ask him just what 'hm' meant, he's leaned in and pressed his lips against yours.

For a moment—a very long moment—you're not one hundred percent sure you're actually awake.

Dirk is kissing you.

It’s more of a surprise than something as jarring as a shock. His fingers are soft against the nape of your neck as they slide up, threading in your hair, and he smells like Orange Crush. It's sugary and sweet and very him. You’re used to his soda-drinking habits and have even come to enjoy sharing a cup with him once in a while.

You’re not certain why he’s doing what he is, but you’re not going to waste your first kiss and when you hesitantly kiss back, you can feel him smile. You're nervous, obviously so, but you can't help it and smile with him, laughing a little when he pulls away and– and what, exactly, was that?

"Why did you kiss me?" you ask, laughing a little more when he arches an eyebrow at you and you lift your hands, shaking your head. "Not that I'm complaining, of course! ...I'm just curious. I thought you were—"

"Gay? I'm pretty sure the universe thinks I'm gay."

"...are you not?"

He shrugs, letting his hand drop away from your neck and when he looks away you feel as if you need to apologize. You'd never explicitly asked after his orientation, much like he'd never asked after yours. You'd just assumed after his pursuit of Jake and rebuff of Roxy's affections that he was gay, plain and simple.

"I don't like terms like that. They're some sort of definition and I'm not fond of the idea that people take them one way or the other. I'm just Dirk and I like whomever I like."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he says, leaning up against the couch beside you.

His eyes are on your face and you can see them moving behind his shades and, on impulse, you reach out to touch his cheek. "I should be though. I made an assumption about you that was unfair and unwarranted."

"It was probably highly warranted. It's not like I made a big deal out of denying any claims that I was solely chasing cock."

"I suppose that's true... but still, I—"

"Jane?"

You pause, head tipping slightly at the amusement in his tone and you tense up all over again when he leans forward once more.

"Yes?"

"Could you skip over the part where you apologize for an hour and just tell me if I can kiss you again or if I should go back to sitting in your lap and advise you that Rox is probably teasing but one can never really know with her?"

"I—" Your words get a little caught and you clear your throat but you think it's understandable.

Strider is just a breath away, waiting for you to make up your mind but you don't feel rushed. You're comfortable, despite being a little tense—it's not every day that one of your closest friends comes on to you, after all—and you know he's not going to push. You're pretty sure he learned his lesson with Jake and, well, you're not Jake, for one.

You're Jane and you've spent the last three years getting over one boy, wondering if, perhaps, you like your best female friend and, really, you've never even thought about kissing Dirk.

Well, perhaps you've thought about it—in passing—but never very seriously. He wasn't an option, really. You lacked certain anatomy you thought he required but... well, now...

What's the harm?

He's asking you to think about it and, honestly, he's a lot of the things you'd hoped Jake would be. Yes, he's rather brash and can be harsh on occasion. He's not exactly what you'd call socially stable and has more than one problem with going out into crowded places. He's obsessive, stacking his cards neatly, organizing wires and anything else colored by their exact shade and yes, he can be rather crude when he wants to be.

But he's also kind in a very basic way you don't think he really understands. He's a good friend, there for you when you need him and, after the whole Jake fiasco, you've never felt out of place at his side. He's never made you feel anything but absolutely wonderful and he’s encouraged you to love yourself for exactly who you are repeatedly. He doesn't nag after you if you're a few pounds over your ideal weight and, actually, he seems to prefer it, endlessly rubbing his hands over your sides and the obvious curves there.

To put it bluntly, Dirk makes you feel beautiful, inside as well as out, and that's something you'd say is special.

So, perhaps, it's okay to not know when it comes to this...

You know you want him in your life, friend or otherwise and you're confident he always will be. You also know that if you can get over what you already have, a kiss or two, or even three or more, isn't something that would ruin your friendship if either of you decided that this wasn't what you wanted.

You trust him, to put it simply and you know that means quite a lot to the both of you.

"Yes, you can." Your voice is a little shaky but the hand that settles on your side steadies you and you even manage a smile when he laughs.

"Good."

You're not sure this is the best idea. You're not sure it's the worst. You're not sure if Roxy's teasing had a purpose or if she's going to sneak up and plant one on you someday. You don't know how Jake would feel knowing Dirk was kissing you and you don't know if you're still planning to surprise Miss Ro-Lal with a dose of her own medicine but you do know that Dirk's lap is warm and comfortable and you like the way you fit up against him. You like his hands on your back and the way he tastes like sugar and oranges. You like how he makes you feel and you really like just how happy you are in this moment.

And, for now, you think that's good enough.

Good detectives always find out in the end, after all, and you've got more than enough faith in your friends to know that if it isn't, you'll get through it anyway.


End file.
